Sydney--The Bridge Climb

Spanning the Sydney harbor, is the magnificent Sydney Harbor Bridge, the only bridge we have been to that you can legally climb. Of course my husband, Bob, wanted to accept the challenge on our last visit. I volunteered to take the pictures.

The climb was not hard and probably easier than my climb up to the Pylon Lookout where I was able to catch a few pictures of Bob on his walk. Since our visit, they have made a few changes. There are three different walks offered. The first, the Express Climb, is the quickest and takes about 2 1/2 hours from preparation to end of walk. The Discovery Climb takes a little over 3 hours and gets you up close and personal with the rivets and raw steel of the bridge. The Bridge Climb takes 3 1/2 hours and you get to walk along the outer arch of the bridge. This last climb is called the ultimate experience. Of course on all of them you receive a certificate and a souvenir picture.

Be aware that you will not be allowed to take anything with you on the climb. They don't want you dropping anything on the traffic below. If you wear glasses a strap will be provided to keep them securely in position. Check the outfiting page on their website for your stylish bridge climbing wardrobe.

Along the way there are handrails and you are tethered to a safety line as well. There are 465 steps, widely spaced, and a ladder or two so you must be in relatively good physical. They claim that many acrophobics have been able to overcome their fear of heights on this climb.

The view is said to be spectacular no matter what time of day you climb.

Let's see--465 easy steps on the bridge. I climbed 200 hard steps in the pylon. Maybe I need to go bridge climbing this trip!

Grandmas Who Don't Bake Cookies

Are you a grandma who buys cookies rather than bake them for the grandkids? Or do you know one who does? My column this month at Positively Feminine is for those grandmas.

You Don't Bake Cookies?

Packing An Attitude

Back in the late 50s there was a western on TV with a character named Pallidin who carried a business card that said, “Have gun. Will travel.” In today’s society, packing heat is going to get you stopped as you go through security at the airport. Something else that may get you stopped is packing an attitude.

While sitting at the gate waiting for a flight, we watched as a man came running up obviously trying to make a connecting flight that had just boarded and closed the door to the gangway. The plane was still at the gate and the would-be passenger got angrier and angrier as the attendant at the desk explained the rules and regulations and why he could not board. He exploded in colorful language and when the attendant threatened to call security, he left--presumably to yell at someone at the ticket counter.

ATTITUDE is key to enjoying travel. Chances are with a better attitude, the passenger might have been put on the next flight in first class. But who wants to go the extra mile with someone who is out of control? And in this day and age of heightened security, airlines are not going to risk an out-of-control passenger.

Abraham Lincoln said, "I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow."

Several times we have walked into a crowded hotel lobby, busy with people arriving and leaving, to check in with a harried hotel clerk and were told our room was not ready. Instead of exploding with inappropriate vocabulary, we’ve sympathized with how busy she is, said we understood, and asked to check our luggage and be notified on our cell phone when the room was ready. Then we've gone off for a snack or a bit of sight-seeing. That attitude has gotten us an upgrade more than once—the last time an ocean view without the extra charge.

ATTITUDE. We all have a choice in how we want to behave. How we want to treat others. How we want to look at life in general.

When you travel expect that there will be delays. Expect that the weather may not always cooperate. Expect that there will be some people who are difficult. Expect the unexpected. When you do, two things will happen: You won’t be disappointed. And you will be pleasantly surprised when things work out better than you ever expected.

Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold. (Maurice Setter)

The kind of attitude you pack is important whether it’s for travel around the world or just traveling through life. Be sure to pack a good one.

My Plane's Bigger Than Your Plane!

Our Qantas flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia, will be on an Airbus 380. This plane is HUGE! It has two decks, carries almost 600 passengers and has a wing span that is almost as long as a football field. I'm feeling a little anxious.

I'm sure it can get off the ground. It has in the past.

And I'm sure it can stay in the air. It's already made trips over the Pacific between the two cities.

Once I get past the size, I hope to sit back and enjoy the following 14 1/2 hours. Supposedly there is a little more room for knees and there is some kind of "foot net" that controls sliding while you sleep. Sleep? I hope so. Although I do expect to watch a little of the larger video screen on the back of the seat in front of me.

Now I probably won't see any upgrade from economy but there are more perks of course the higher you upgrade. Some of them include seats that recline with footrests, laptop power outlets, and a self-service bar in premium economy. Moving up to business class gets you a seat that lies flatter, a lounge area, privacy dividers, and extra storage among other perks.

Of course for the big bucks you get a first class private suite with fully reclining seat that has a foam mattress and massage. (Wonder if you need quarters for it?) There is also a 17" video screen, mood lighting, a table for two, and other "bells and whistles."

My needs are few--get me off the ground, land me safely, and a little leg room would be nice. Not that I'm opposed to a private suite. . .but at the prices of airline tickets, it would have to be a free upgrade.

Flying--The Good Ole Days

When we travel to Australia, we will be flying to Los Angeles (about a four hour flight) and from there on to Sydney (about 14 1/2 hours). Add to that the two hours before takeoff to be sure we are checked in and through security and then the lay-over time in LA and we are talking a trip of about 21-24 hours. Take note that we will also be crossing the international date line which means somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, we lose a day. Monday suddenly becomes Tuesday. Is it any wonder they call it jet lag?

I happened to catch a glimpse of a vintage airline commercial on TV and looked it up on YouTube. Ah, the earlier days of flying were amazing. Take a look. It was a bit more formal, but I'd dress up for the meal they're serving. And what was with the "no vibrations?" When was the last time you made a house of cards on your tray table when flying? Even first class nowadays doesn't look as good as this did.

Wordless Wednesday

And a Grandma Too!

Every time I think back to a radio interview I had a couple of years ago when we were promoting A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts, I have to smile. The host discovered that I am a scuba diver and a grandmother as well. He conjured up this picture of a white haired little old lady in scuba gear sitting in a rocker.

Well, the white hair is really gray underneath the L'Oreal Havanna Brown and I spent more time in a rocker when my own kids were little and not sleeping through the night than I do now. I do strap on the scuba gear a couple of times a year and plunge into the wonderful underwater world of adventure. It's not a glamorous hobby but it is fun.

There are few grandmas in this day and age that fit the little-old-white-haired-lady-in-the-rocker image but I'm sure I'll eventually get closer to that.

Today I'll be talking with Brenda Nixon at the Parent's Plate about grandparenting. How do you parent the parents of your grandkids? What are some great things to do with your grandkids? How are you an influence in their lives? Tune in live at 10 a.m. (ET)or revisit the website on Wednesday and listen to the podcast. What could be more fun than being a grandma?--not even scuba diving!

George Washington's Dentures

No wooden teeth? Does this mean he didn't cut down the cherry tree either? Is anyone else discouraged by the discovering the falsehoods you grew up with as a child? They were nice stories, unique oddities, tales to stretch the imagination but one by one they tend to come crashing down.

The latest for me is the discovery that George Washington's dentures were never made of wood. His dentist, John Greenwood, made them of hippopotamus ivory (didn't know they had ivory), human teeth and gold. The ivory was the base. Imagine carving that to fit the gums.

Washington had several sets made as his dental problems progressed. Apparently when he was inaugurated as president, he only had one tooth left in his mouth. There is a picture of one denture along with a story at MSNBC.

If you are traveling to Baltimore and are truly interested in Washington's dentures or just want to impress your kids to keep up good dental hygiene, stop in at the National Museum of Dentistry.

I think I will pass however. I'm a realy wimp when it comes to anything to do with a dental chair and teeth--which is why I try to take good care of my teeth.

Oh, and by the way, George's birthday was actually February 11 according to the then Julian calendar but was changed to February 22 when Britain and the colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar. Ah, the things we learn. . .

My Grandparents Bought Me This T-Shirt

This is a column I wrote for Positively Feminine.org. It's one of my favorites:

We have all seen them. They hang in the souvenir shops of every tourist stop. “My grandparents visited [you name the place] and all I got was this T-shirt.” I don’t usually buy a lot of souvenirs for my grandkids when we are traveling. There’s not a lot of room in the suitcase for six, and soon to be seven, trinkets. But on occasion I do try to bring back something that will satisfy their curiosity when they express an interest in where Grandma and Grandpa are going.

On our “once in a lifetime” cruise to Antarctica, I tried to find something that was symbolic or educational to bring home to our young grandchildren. Tyler, the oldest, was four years old at the time and was the only one who had a little understanding of where we were going.
“How cold are the icebergs? Can you walk on them? Does it snow all the time?”

I was desperate to find something that would peak his interest and lend to his education. Trust me. There are not a lot of souvenir shops in Antarctica and bringing back a baby penguin was out of the question. In the ship’s gift shop, I found fleece vests with Antarctica embroidered on the back. The girls, I knew, would enjoy the clothes, but no so Tyler. I bought one for him anyway just to have something to give him.

Back home, as I unpacked the vests, I remembered all his questions about icebergs and snow. I stared out the window at the heavy snow that was falling as I anticipated our visit with him and his sister. Like an avalanche, the idea struck me. Why not give him an iceberg for his souvenir—a mini-iceberg!

Wading out into the snow, I packed a large plastic container with the white stuff, snapped a lid on it and set it in the freezer for our visit.

At Tyler’s house that weekend, the fleece vest got tossed over his head as I anticipated. (His father did the same thing with gifts that were clothes.) Then I pulled out my special souvenir. His eyes widened and he took the mini-iceberg from me and set it on the floor in front of him.

“It’s so cool, Grandma!”

He and Danielle took little penguins from one of their toy collections and played with them on the iceberg and before he went to bed that night, he had to float it in the bathtub with him. He was careful not to let it melt too much (already he was learning about global warming) and it went back into the freezer for another day.

Souvenirs don’t mean a whole lot to others, especially children, if they haven’t experienced the place they came from. When the souvenir is something that will impart a little knowledge or understanding of another place, it becomes much more valuable.

What is it you can whet your grandchild’s appetite for learning with when you look for a souvenir to bring back from vacation? It doesn’t have to cost a whole lot. Save a couple coins from a foreign country. Make a recipe from that country or region for them to taste. Find story books unique to where you visited that you can read with them. And be sure to send them a postcard!

T-shirts are usually three for ten dollars and don’t last past the second washing but a memory shared through a unique souvenir will last a lifetime.

When Life Hands You. . .Snow,

When life hands you lemons, they say to make lemonade. It only follows that when life hands you snow, you ought to make. . . ice cream! Here's a recipe for snow ice cream. Just be sure you take freshly fallen snow and be sure to stay away from the yellow stuff.

2 eggs

1/2 c. sugar

1 c. milk or light cream

2 tsps. vanilla

pinch of salt

Place ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with an egg beater to make an uncooked custard. Now, scoop up a pan of new fallen snow and mix the snow into the custard. You need to eath this right away! This will make about 1 quart of snow ice cream.

Remember, fresh fallen snow only. And be sure to wash the eggs before cracking them. If you are concerned about raw eggs, make a cooked custard recipe but don't let the custard set up before you add the snow.

We're about to get our fourth big snowfall in about three weeks--unless Mother Nature has some mercy. Maybe it's time to make some ice cream.

Wordless Wednesday

Don't Leave Home Without It

While some people still prefer traveler's checks, a credit card and a bank card you can use at ATMs are probably your greatest assets in having the ability to pay for things as you travel abroad. ATMs are readily available in almost every major airport around the world. Added to that location, you can find them frequently in most towns and cities that have at least one bank, usually with a choice of languages including English.

The advantage to using an ATM is not only being able to get cash readily, you get the best rate of conversion and your bank will not charge you nearly as much as a money exchange booth at the airport.

While there are some places where you will need cash for "cash only" purchases, the best route for paying for hotels, tickets, meals, etc. is to use a credit card. Again, the conversion of currency is automatic but beware--not all credit cards are created equal. But you knew that, right? Check with your credit card company to see what their policy and exchange rate is before you use it. We discovered the hard way that the credit card we used for travel was adding a hefty charge for the currency conversion.

At the time I write this, we currently have a Capital One card (no fancy picture) that we use exclusively for travel. We found that there is no charge for it's use in foreign countries for the currency conversion. Perhaps there are other cards as well. Check around. Just be sure you don't leave home without one.

Sunday Worship Thoughts

SWEETHEART

noun

someone with whom one is in love and by whom one is loved; a term of endearment

Florists, candymakers, greeting card sellers, and restaurant owners will be sporting grins today. Despite the economy, many people of all ages will be scrambling to find their sweetheart an appropriate token of their love and appreciation. And let's not forget those jewelers. Many young men will take the occasion of Valentine's Day to put a knee to the ground and ask the age-old question.

May I paint another picture for today? How about two knees on the ground and a prayer of thanks for the One who loved us so much he sent his Son for us? Words of appreciation followed by words of desire. "Create in me a pure heart. . ." (Ps 51:10) or perhaps a sweet heart, one that can reach out to others with God's love.

Books For The Road - Sisterchicks Do The Hula!

Yesterday was my "mental health" day. I spent the day doing nothing but reading. With all the dreary cold snowy weather we've had I needed a good escape book and Sisterchicks Do The Hula! by Robin Jones Gunn fit the bill perfectly.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. The title sounded like a chick-lit book but rather than a sassy story of two gals in Hawaii, it turned out to be a tale of girlfriends, a story of friendship, and a discovery of God's hand in their destination of choice, Honolulu, Hawaii. (A Sisterchick is defined as a friend who shares the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and provides a reality check when you are being a brat.)

Gunn does a great job of painting the scenes of the tropical destination and portraying the people of the island. I've been there several times and she is very accurate with her details including culture and tradtions and even some history.

This is a great easy read about two gals about to turn forty who finally get to realize their college dream of a trip to Hawaii. Leaving family behind for a few days, they rediscover their own dreams and deepen their bonds of friendship while encountering God as well. It is one of the first in a series of Sisterchicks books. I'm looking forward to delving into a few more--especially if it keeps snowing!

Declaring a Mental Health Day

Sometimes you just gotta have one--a day where for sanity's sake, you toss aside the to do list and just be. Today I'm going to be a reader. I have a book to read for no other purpose than to enjoy the words someone labored over. The book is one that is not a heavy topic--or at least it doesn't appear to be, Sisterchicks do the Hula! by Robin Jones Gunn. Maybe this will get me out of my funk over drab days filled with cold and snow. At least for a little while, if only in my mind, I can be in one of my favorite places, Hawaii, and be warmed by the sun and refreshed with cool breezes. See, I'm already there in my mind.

Where do you go or what do you do for a "mental health day"?

Wordless Wednesday

Kangaroos and Emus and Koalas, Oh My!

Anticipation. It can be delightful. Or it can be a bit ominous--I write this anticipating a huge snowstorm about to bury us again. In the case of looking forward to our Australian trip though, anticipation makes the heart leap and want to race. It is an exciting country with natural beauty and intrigue and some of the friendliest folks you'll ever meet.

On several trips to the land downunder, we've had encounters with kangaroos, emus, and koalas. The first time was at a wildlife park where you could buy a bag of food and feed the kangaroos and emus. It was during the off-season and I think the animals were hungry for attention. They eagerly made their way to us. One of the kangaroos even put arms around me trying to get my attention. I learned later, that out in the wild, he/she could have knocked me dead with those powerful legs. Glad I didn't do anything to rile anybody.

While we saw koalas in the animal parks and zoos, we also discovered one in the wild thanks to my ever observant son. We were walking a trail and he noticed droppings on the path. He looked up to see a koala snoozing in the branches of the tree just above our heads. Koalas in the wild are not the nicely groomed furry bears you see in the zoos. Let's just leave it at that.

During another trip, we rented a car for the few days we were in the Cairns area. We had never been to Cooktown just north of Cairns and wanted to see it. Now one of the things the car rental places stress down there is that you cannot drive the rental cars on unpaved roads. We stopped at a visitor information center and asked if the road to Cooktown was paved.

"Gertie!" yelled the woman at the desk to another in the back room. "Is the road to Cooktown bituminous?"

"Oh yes, deary, I believe it is. Bituminous all the way."

We thanked them and left. Not long up the highway, construction signs appeared. Traffic was diverted to a parallel road that looked like a temporary graveled dirt bypass. The "bypass" led us north another 300 km (about 180 miles) all the way into Cooktown. The car was covered in red dust by the time we got there. And then it rained.

There was no choice but to go back the way we came. After exploring Cooktown, we gassed up, bought water, and prepared ourselves to face the dangers of the unknown. Thankfully, by the time we were on our way, the rain stopped and the sun was out again. But the most amazing thing happened. Along the way back to Cairns we saw dozens upon dozens of kangaroos out along the side of the road. Now to an Aussie, that's as exciting as us seeing a deer around our homes is to us but to the tourist, it was thrilling.

When we arrived back in Cairns, the car was totally red from the dust and mud. We were so embarrassed for having taken it where we shouldn't have, we found a car wash and cleaned it before we returned it.

Bituminous has a whole new meaning now.

[More on Australia]

Books For The Road - Thin Places

"Thin places are snatches of holy ground, tucked into the corners of our world, where, if we pay very close attention, we might just catch a glimpse of eternity."

With that explanation, Mary DeMuth in her memoir, Thin Places, invites her readers to journey and explore with her those thin places in her life where God revealed himself. The places she takes us are not pleasant. They are soul-exposing and spirit-searching places that have molded and shaped her life. But by inviting us into those most vulnerable and private places, DeMuth shows us the thin places in our own lives--the places where, if we open our hearts and minds, we too will glimpse eternal promises.

Thin Places is not for the casual reader. This is often a disturbing and emotion-evoking read. DeMuth deals honestly and openly with her struggles in overcoming rape as a young child. She illustrates the impact to her very core of being with stories of her struggles growing up and becoming a wife and mother. Each chapter/story has its own message of redemption in her faith in Christ.

Even though you may not relate to her specific struggles, you will find a common thread in your own life that will encourage you in your own spiritual journey. This is what encouraged me:

"In the past I needed all the fragments of my life placed just so, like diamonds set in a tennis bracelet. The older I get, the more I see that Jesus wants me to trust Him for the missing pieces, the broken clasps, the counterfeit baubles--to relax in the unknowing, to be a t peace with the tangles, to learn the art of living with the mystery."

[This book was provided by Zondervan for review.]

[More Books for the Road]

Sunday Worship Thoughts

Something always touches my heart in a worship service. Sometimes it's the sermon. Sometimes it's a Sunday school lesson. Sometimes it's the music. This morning it was definitely the music. In particular the soloist's song. I'm not a fan of Country Music usually but we have a soloist in our church who sings on occasion and draws you in with the storytelling of the country music songs he belts out so well. This morning was especially touching as he sang the song, The Three Crosses.

It's the story of four people, a farmer, a teacher, a preacher, and a hooker, involved in a car crash and only one survives--the hooker. But the dying preacher hands her his bloody Bible and asks, "Can't you see the Promised Land?" It turns out that this lady is the grandmother of the preacher who narrates the song. The lesson: It's not what you take with you, it's what you leave behind that is important.

There's another song near and dear to my heart called, Find Us Faithful (or May All Who Come Behind Us Find Us Faithful). The first time I heard a former pastor of ours sing it, I knew that I wanted it sung at our 25th wedding anniversary celebration. During our renewal of vows ceremony, the pastor sang it again bringing some of our children to tears. Perhaps it was because of the last verse:

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone

And our children sift through all we've left behind

May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover

Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find.

Hopefully the impact of our lives on others will be the legacy that we leave behind--the legacy that will lead others to a life of faith in Jesus. What will you leave behind?

This Is ________Day!

Sometimes a blogger just needs a little encouragement to find something to write that will inform, entertain, or stimulate discussion--or all three. When I hit a wall and kept seeing a blank box (Blogger has a box in which you write your post) with a blinking cursor before me and then realized I'd been staring at it for quite a while, I decided to surf the net for some inspiration.

What's going on around the world, I wondered? I found a site that gives world holidays. Hmmm. Nothing much there. Mexico is celebrating Constitution Day and Canada, Winterlude. Leave it to the Canadians to celebrate the cold.

A couple of more sites later I stumbled on to some interesting National-Day-Of___s. Here's the list:

• Disaster Day (That really excites me. How about you?)
• Buble Gum Day (Do you pop your gum?)
• Weatherperson's Day (Very politically correct, isn't it? Gender-friendly)

But if none of that makes you want to kick up your heals, toss confetti, or even whistle a happy tune (take the gum out of your mouth first) then hang on because Monday is. . .LAUGH AND GET RICH DAY!!

What to Pack - Decisions, Decisions

As I mentioned before, we are planning quite a lengthy trip to Australia and as the date approaches for our departure, we are getting down to the more personal details--packing clothes. Since we are doing quite a trek across the land down under, we are trying to keep our luggage down to a minimum, one small suitcase and a backpack. This means inserting laundry plans into our itinerary.

With several of the places we will stay, this isn't a problem. In Sydney for example we are staying in what is called "apartments." In other places they would probably be called suites but these in Sydney are reasonably priced and include a small washer/dryer in one of the closets. We've stayed there before and they worked great!

Two other stops have a guest laundry but our lodging in Perth did not list one so I did a search and found that laundromats are called "laundrobars" in Australia. There are several nearby our B&B if we need them. I'll be packing a few sheets of a great new product called Purex 3 in 1 laundry sheets. Each sheet has detergent and softener in it and, in the dryer, acts as an anti-static agent. I stick them in a plastic zip bag. They take up little space and save money and disappointment if you don't have enough coinage or the dispensers in the laundrobars are empty.

The plan is to pack enough clothes for 5 days at a time. Weather should be coolish in most places except for our time in the Ayers Rock area--think hot desert. We will only take one smart casual outfit each (no sport jackets or formal wear on this trip). The backpackers who read this are probably laughing their heads off. They are used to "living light." For me, it's been an ongoing lesson on how to cut back. I'm still learning. Packing light tips would be appreciated.

Wordless Wednesday

Cruise Ships in Haiti Controversy

For a couple weeks after the terrible earthquake in Haiti, Royal Caribbean/Celebrity Cruise Line received harsh criticism for stopping at their private beach with passengers. We watched CNN-HLN fuel the controversy on the sat-TV with polls and inviting viewer comments and a tone of indignation. We were cruising at the time but not to Haiti.

What we did learn was that RC had cancelled some stops at first but then began visiting their beach at Labadee again and bringing supplies to help as well as passengers to continue to infuse their weak economy with financial support. For some people, no matter what the cruise line did, it would have been wrong.

An Associated Press story by Travis Reed and Vivian Sequera did a little better job of presenting the situation. They mentioned a young man who told them that if the ship didn't come in, his family didn't eat. It was his income. (The picture is one I took of part of the locals' arts/crafts market at Labadee.) To be fair, they mentioned the other side--those who felt it was morally wrong to frolick on the beach when others were suffering so much.

In the end, the quote they supplied from Arthur Applbaum, a Harvard University professor of ethics and public policy seemed to sum it up: "The people of Haiti are suffering whether you take your beach vacation in the Dominican Republic or in Hawaii and it is a failure of the moral imagination not to be equally troubled in Waikiki."

Books for the Road - First Family

"Impossible to put down."--St. Louis Post Dispatch, was written on the front cover of First Family by David Baldacci. I read those words with scepticism. Sure, sure. We'll see, I thought. I've read those words before and put the book down plenty. This time though, I was in for a wonderful surprise.

Baldacci weaves a wonderfully complicated plot with strong characters that compel you to turn the page and keep on reading. Two private investigators, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, former Secret Service agents, are pressed into service by the First Lady whose niece has been kidnapped. Add to that a subplot where Michelle's mother is murdered and she must deal with demons from her childhood and you will find yourself compelled to read on and on until all is resolved.

I liked Baldacci's style of writing, the action he brought to life through his words, and the complexity of his plot. Don't pick this one up to read unless you have nothing better to do for a while. You won't want to put it down--it's impossible to do so.

Sunday Worship Thoughts

My son is an evangelist. No not like a Bible-thumping, fire and brimstone preacher. He "religiously" gets people interested in using Microsoft products. It's his job. He loves it and he's good at it. But lately it has caused a bit of confusion among some of his FaceBook friends. Namely those not with a direct connection to all the activities surrounding the world of technology he deals with.

Using Twitter and FaceBook as a means of connecting to those in his business world as well as his personal world, he has posted some very cryptic messasges with all sorts of abbreviations (aside from the familiar LOL) and hash marked references. One would think he was speaking another language--maybe he is.

How often do we do the same thing when we talk of our association with our Savior, Jesus Christ? We throw out fifty cent words (make that a dollar) and speak with words that have double meanings to those who do not share our circle of faith. I think back to the time we had a pastor's wife tell us that she once told her new doctor that God had called her and her husband to the church where they were serving. She added that when they had asked God for a decision, he told them they should move to the new church. It evoked a concerned look and a question from the doctor, "And what does God sound like when he talks to you? Does he call you often?" Red-faced, she realized he didn't understand what she meant exactly.

Use the term santification and someone may associate it with being sanctimonious. That's probably not the picture you want to paint. Jesus spoke to others about spiritual matters that were sometimes difficult to imagine. He did so in everyday, common language using stories that people could understand and relate to. We need to remember that as we share our faith. While our more intimate friends in our circle of faith may understand the terms we use, those who need to hear and understand God's love and gift of salvation through his Son may not.

Words are powerful whether in the hands of a techie-geek son or the hands of a friend who wants to share their faith. Use them wisely.

Cruise Comment Cards--They Really Read Them!

We have taken 41 cruises over the last 20 years and at the end of each cruise, we always fill out the comment card that comes to our stateroom the next to last day. Throughout the days onboard ship, passengers are often reminded that these cards are important to the crew members and often determine whether or not they are promoted. Since they are always a computerized sheet reminiscent of an ACT answer sheet, I had no doubt that they were run through a computer and scored. I did doubt that any of the written comments were read. . .until today.

On our last cruise on the Celebrity Equinox, we had two Sundays at sea and there was no interdenominational worship service. There was a Catholic Mass on Saturday evening but nothing on Sunday for those of us who were not of the Catholic faith. Some of the nicest worship services we have experienced have been aboard cruise ships joining together with those of other walks of faith and from a variety of countries and cultures. Somehow it was spiritually uniting to come together and find a common bond of worship.

When we received our comment card, I wrote in the space provided that I had appreciated several of the servers we had in the restaurant and mentioned them by name. Then I went on to express our disappointment over not having the worship services. I ended by saying how we were pleased with the extra care the crew took to keep sanitizing the ship for our safety when the Noro virus was present.

Today, I answered the phone to discover a representative from the Royal Caribbean/Celebrity Cruise Line on the other end thanking me for the comments and wondering if there was anything else I might have been displeased with beside the lack of worship services. They had actually read the comments! Now that brings a whole new perspective to customer relations.

Books For The Road - The New iPad

Yesterday the big announcement was made by Steve Jobs of Apple concerning the new product, the iPad. It looks to be a combination laptop and iPhone and e-reader all in one. It is about a 1/2 pound lighter than my current travel netbook I use on our trips for checking email, downloading pictures, and working on some writing while I'm away.

While the familiar iPhone Apps seem to be the biggest deal on the iPad with the iBookstore the other big spine tingler, there was not a whole lot said about how it functions as a computer--although Jobs is quoted as saying that "It's a dream to type on."

Being in publishing, the standout feature for me is the iBookstore. I love my Sony Reader. It so easily packs as many books as I want into one little binder that takes up little space in my backpack. E-books also offer opportunity for another marketing outlet for books. I understand that Apple has made a 30/70 deal with publishers to offer books in their store with the publisher getting the bigger cut. That has got to be appealing. And the cost of putting together an e-book I am assuming is somewhat less that printed pages.

It's a whole new world. I can remember my parents talking about having to get out and crank up the old Ford to get it started. I can remember a time in my own life when there was no such thing as a cell phone and pages of books were turned by hand not by a finger on a button. Imagination turned to innovation. What next?

Wordless Wednesday

Cruise Ship Chef Shenanigans

Whenever we travel with Bob's twin brother and his wife, we always seem to get involved in something because of the "twin factor." Our recent cruise aboard the Celebrity Equinox was no exception. The entertainment staff thought it would be a hoot to have the twins face off with two of the chefs in a cook-off that they do every cruise.

The boys were called up on stage at the beginning by the head chef and were given about three minutes to pick out a trayful of ingredients from which each chef had to creat three dishes. Bob was paired with a chef from Bali and Dick teamed up with a chef from Scotland.

While the chefs along with their newly recruited assistants prepared the dishes, the head chef answered questions about the food for the cruise and how it was prepared. Can you imagine preparing over 2100 lobster tails in one night? That's how many they served during formal night dinner the evening before the chef's competition.

Bob and Dick were both handed knives and asked to help prepare the vegetables. I couldn't see Polly but I'm sure she was holding her breath too as they chopped carrots, celery and bok choy. Bob got pretty handy with flipping the vegetables in a pan on the stove. He only lost one.

After twenty minutes, time was called and the three judges chosen from the audience were seated on stage. There was some tough love exhibited in the judging (top scores that could be given were 5). Dishes were judged on presentation, taste, and waste. You can imagine some of the ways the guys tried to hide the extra leftovers.

But in the end Bob's team won. We asked later if it had been fixed and got the answer, "Would we do that?" Hmmm.

When the theater cleared after the show, the guys were treated to a special tour of the audio booth and enjoyed that even more than their time on the stage under the lights. All of it of course adding to our cruising experience. Thanks, Equinox crew!

Books for the Road - Going Rogue: An American LIfe

" There were times when I thought, You know what I could really use? A wife."

I've always liked Sarah Palin but when she used the line I always use under pressure to get things done, I felt like I knew her. In her book, Going Rogue: An American Life, Palin's character, spunk, and approach to life as well as politics shows through in an engaging story of how she started her career and found herself as governor and candidate for Vice President of the United States.

The book's politics are tempered with stories of family and faith. Palin's story portrays a well-rounded individual who weaves her roles as wife and mother into her career. While some of the political stories are a bit defensive, who can blame her? She was targeted in many unfair ways that had nothing to do with her political views but more often with issues that related to her personally and often involved her family. As a mother, I would have snarled like a pit bull too.

Lynn Vincent who helped "in getting the words on paper," did a great job of letting Palin's voice come through. The book is worth reading for the story of one woman's quest to get some honesty in politics and bring it back to the people. She is a historical figure now, but one I am sure will not left behind. Sarah Palin has much more to give.

St Kitts - The Scenic Railroad

We have been to so many of the Caribbean islands that they all begin to look alike. St. Kitts was a pleasant surprise. While the downtown area of Basseterre looks very much like most of the other island ports, we discovered a lush beautiful island once we were away from the bustling port full of tourists.

Opting for a shore excursion rather than a walk through town, we met on the pier and were ushered to an air conditioned van that took us to an industrial area where the St. Kitts Scenic Railroad train awaited us. For the next two and a half hours, we traveled on a narrow gauge track that covered 18 miles of shoreline and wonderful views of rain forested areas, tiny towns, frothy shorelines and beaches some of which were black from lava, and even a quick glimpse of the infamous green monkeys that inhabit this small island.

This narrow gauge railroad was begun by the owners of the touring railroad in Skagway, Alaska. St. Kitts was the only island in the Caribbean where they found a suitable narrow gauge track that was useable. Amazing since this track has been in existence for about a hundred years according to our guide and used mainly for the sugar cane industry which is no longer viable.

The train cars of the Scenic Railroad were air conditioned on the first level with chairs and tables available for those who didn’t want to climb the narrow curving stairs to the open-sided top deck. Up on top there were benches along the sides and back padded with comfortable cushions.

Pulling all of this was an engine that ran on diesel and right behind it was a large car that contained the electrical power to run the blenders, the air conditioning, and the speaker system the narrator used.

Along the way our guide pointed out interesting sights, flora and fauna, and gave a wonderfully illustrated history of the area. We passed many abandoned windmills and chimneys from the early days of sugar cane production and plantations. All of the commentary was interspersed by an a capella trio who went from car to car and sang harmoniously.

It didn’t hurt that the weather was perfect and the sun shone dramatically between passing clouds on the green volcanic hills in the center of the island. We saw several other areas of the island that deserve exploration. I hope we return to once again enjoy the hospitality of St. Kitts.

Cruising Under Code Red - Noro Virus!

Normally our experience with boarding a Celebrity cruise ship is quite pleasant and seamless and quickly done. When we arrived for our cruise this time we found it to be a whole new experience thanks to the Noro Virus.

The previous cruise had experience a small outbreak of the Noro Virus. Of over 2800 passengers and 1300 crew, the number of people reported sick was 60—just slightly over 1%. Still the numbers were enough to throw the ship into Code Red. The cruise line called in a company that specializes in cleaning and sanitizing the ship. The whole procedure backed up the boarding process by at least three hours and even when we were allowed on board, rooms were still being prepared. Ours had been stripped bare and was still in that condition until late afternoon.

Everyone seemed to get over the delay and our first few days at sea seemed to go smoothly—until the usual service and amenities available were held hostage by the Code Red restrictions. Library books are shelved behind thick plastic with signs reading that due to the virus, books will not be circulated until further notice. This morning (5 days into our cruise) however, we noticed that someone had broken through the plastic and obviously extracted some reading material.

Another thing we live with under Code Red is not being able to help yourself to coffee and beverages. Someone is always stationed there to pour and add your sugar and cream. We cannot serve ourselves in the buffet line which slows things down tremendously. There are no common serving utensils lest a virus be transmitted.

So many restrictions and yet. . .someone stood at the security box that logs in our boarding cards and touched each passenger’s card and handed them back. And salt and pepper shakers are on the table. At least we can add our own salt.

Tempers are a bit short on this fifth day. Funny how people are angry when they are not served and yet with all the extra “personal service” all I heard at breakfast this morning from those around us was “Let me pour my own cream!” Hard to please all the people all the time.

Rumor is Code Red will be lifted soon. Guess there are no more cases reported and by now the virus on anything should have died a natural death. Wonder if the library marauder will check his book out legally then?

Wordless Wednesday

Should There Be A Change In Cabin Pressure. . .

Anyone who has ever flown has heard those always repeated words, “Should there be a change in cabin pressure, an oxygen mask will drop from the ceiling above you.” We heard them again on our flight to Fort Lauderdale last week. Only this time my overactive imagination took hold.

You see we had just paid $15/bag in order to assure that we would have clothes to wear on our trip. While our snack and a pair of earphones were “free,” if you wanted to take advantage of the little video screens in the backs of the seats, you had to pay $6 which you did by swiping your credit card through a slot right next to the screen.

On other flights, we have found that if we wanted to eat anything, we had to pay for it. While their entertainment may have been free, if you wanted to hear the audio, you needed to purchase a set of earphones. We even had to purchase a cup of coffee on one flight for $1 but it came with a refill which I shared with Bob.

Imagine if you would what could happen if ALL the little extras on a plane begin to incur charges. Take that credit card to the restroom if you want to use the facilities. Seatbelt? Just swipe your card and you will be able to buckle up. Need to evacuate the plane? Swipe your card upon exit and you can ride the slide.

So the next time you hear “Should there be a change in cabin pressure. . .” be thankful the next instruction isn’t “Swipe your card to begin the flow of oxygen.”

Getting There By Plane

Unless you are truly a road warrior or maybe an RVer, most likely your dream vacation involves a plane flight. Here is where you need to determine your comfort level and degree of patience. As I said in my previous post, the hotel booking sites will also allow you to book plane passage as well with their packages. This eliminates searching and evaluating and timing the purchase of your plane tickets on your own.

If you are going on a cruise, you also have the option of including the plane fare when you book and they make all the arrangements. When you do this, you also get transportation from the airport to the ship but be aware that you may have a longer plane trip with layovers and you will probably pay a lot more for the transportation to the ship than if you simply took a cab. Weigh the convenience against the cost. When you are on your own you are also responsible to get to the ship on time. They will not wait.

Plane fares go up and down. Generally the closer you get to your travel date the lower the fare but not always. It is a gamble. There are several sites where plane fares are monitored and you can be sent updates. The one we use is Yapta.com. Stay in your comfort zone with this. You may purchase your ticket and find the price goes down later but look at it as being able to sleep at night knowing you are booked. Generally we book 3-6 months before our departure date.

Also when looking for your flights try entering different dates. You may find a fare cheaper even if you have to pay to stay an extra night at the beginning or end of your trip. And there may be a nearby airport that has fares low enough to justify driving a couple of hours to another city and flying out from there.

One more suggestion: If you know you will be flying within the bounds of another country several times (as is the case with our Australia trip), you might check with the country's major airline to see if there is a discount fare for flying with them on a special ticket. For example, Qantas offers a deal where you can book up to three flights within the country for a special discount price.

Unfortunately air fares tend to be the major expense of any trip but with a little surfing and some patience, you can find something you can budget into your plans.

Sunday Worship Thought

This Sunday, though away from church family, we are rejoicing with them as they bask in the excitement and joy of answered prayer. Here is a true miracle:

A young woman, the daughter of one of our church family, whose heart was giving out was put on the transplant list. To keep her alive, she had a heart pump installed and has lived the last few months with the pump helping her heart. A few days ago she received word that a heart was available and she was immediately scheduled for surgery.

A friend who “happened” to be on duty at the hospital and worked in anesthesiology decided to check the strength of her heart one more time before she went into surgery. This was not usually done because it is checked periodically during the waiting time. Her heart had been functioning at less than 15%. When they ran the test, they found her heart to be functioning at a better level than the one they would have given her.

The miracle continues. The surgeon attributed the healthier heart to the heart pump but when they turned it off for 20 minutes, her heart continued to beat normally! Surgery lies ahead to remove the heart pump and she will be monitored, I’m sure. But there is no removing the joy in our hearts at the miracle God provided.

“For with God, nothing is impossible!”

A Place To Rest Your Head

Much of the guess work of where to stay has been eliminated with the internet. There are many resources for finding hotels, bed and breakfasts, resorts, etc. Here are a few:

Expedia.com
Hotels.com
Travelocity.com
Orbitz.com
and my favorite: TripAdvisor.com

Some of these sites will give you package deals on hotel + flight + car but you might want to price these out individually instead to make sure you are getting the best price.

Search the sites by the towns/cities you have mapped out to find hotels and prices. Check the reviews for the hotels that appeal to you. A word of caution when doing so. Like any "gossip" you hear, consider the source. There will be someone who absolutely would not send his worst enemy back to the place and in the next review someone will say that it was the best place they've ever stayed. Look at how many good reviews there are vs. the bad. Check out the bad reviews and see what they were complaining about. Many times there was a slight altercation with an employee that led to the bad review. That could be just a clash of personalities. And if it's just one review like that it probably was.

Look for consistency in what the reviews say in regard to cleanliness, comfort, service, etc. rather it is reported good or bad. And then make your decision.

Another possibility for searching out hotels is to go to your favorite hotel chain site. One trip we took (18 Days Through Europe in an Audi) was planned by booking all but one night in Best Western Hotels. There was only one location we had to change because we ended up in an industrial area but we were able to change our location with the help of the staff at the hotel.

Today with all the websites for hotels and maps online, it is easier to be a little more confident in finding a place to lay your head at night that is comfortable, convenient, and economical. Now, we need to get you to your destinations. Finding that elusive plane fare to get you started is next up.

Buses and Trains and Planes, Oh My!

Once you have decided the places you want to visit, the next step is to decide how you will travel from one place to the other. Will you stay in one place and visit everything in a radius around the central point? We did that on a four day stay in Amsterdam. It was extremely convenient. We found a hotel near Central Station where all the buses, trains and trams were. We took the trams into the center of the city and trains into the surrounding countryside. I think we could have seen most of the Netherlands from that location.

If you are trekking over a greater distance, you will want to decide your stops along the way and make them convenient to the sights you want to see. Again look for locations where you might stay a few days and venture out from a central point. This makes for less packing and shuffling of baggage (that's what makes cruising so attractive--unpack/pack once). It also is less tiring if you can plan to stay in one place for a time before moving on again.

While you are mapping out your stops, remember to consider travel time. Google maps will help with driving times. Other sources would be plane and train schedules which can be found online with a little searching. Remember to allow for waiting times and possible delays. Better to end up arriving ahead of your planned schedule than later. You can always find something to do with the extra time--if only to nap.

When you have stops planned, you are ready to begin looking for places to spend the nights. Next I'll cover some ways to help you end up in comfortable and reasonably priced establishments. Are you dreaming of destinations yet?

Wordless Wednesday

Where in the world. . .?

Everything is a lot easier in life with some sort of a plan. That is especially true when you travel. Unless of course you are twenty-something, just graduated and have some money in your pocket and a backpack of worldly goods hanging from your shoulders. But even those who fit that description have some sort of a goal in mind and a path to follow.

About a year and a half ago, we began to plan our Australian adventure. The first question we asked ourselves was "where do we want to go?" Visiting Australia is like visiting the United States. There is no way you are going to see it all on a two week vacation. We began to list the areas/cities we wanted to visit and determine the places we wanted to spend the most time.

Once that was determined, we had a skeletal outline of a trip and needed to consult a map to see how we would route it. Google maps was an excellent source for this.

Over the next few months, we spent many evenings searching the internet for interesting sights to explore in the regions we planned to visit. The easiest way to do that is to search the names of towns and/or parks you see on the map. Most places with anything of interest to see will have a website. Start a file in your Favorites list for you trip and begin adding those sites to it. If you don't, you won't remember where it was you saw that really neat boat trip up the beautiful river. Trust me.

Several travel guides are online. They are not comprehensive (of course, they want you to buy their books) but they do give you some help in choosing places to see. Try Frommers.com and Fodors.com. (Rick Steves is a good source for Europe but I find his books more helpful than his website.)If you do decide to purchase one of their guides, you want to wait until you can get the most up-to-date one. Otherwise some of the transportation, hotel, and hours of operation information may not be as current.

One other helpful site for planning is Tripadvisor.com where you can find reviews on places to see. We'll use this site extensively later when making reservations.

Why not stop reading here and dream a little? If you've always wanted to plan a trip to that dream destination, take the time now to jot down the places where you might want to stop and the things you might want to see. Then spend a little time exploring online. Save your work in a file. You never know when the opportunity might arise and you'll be prepared to start your adventure.

Next: Narrowing the choices. Planning the timeline.

Sunday Worship Thoughts

Perhaps it was because I knew my Sunday school class was coming to dinner after church today that I had a vivid dream about my kitchen table and seating everyone around it. I'll admit I was a little nervous since this was the first time for them to visit our home. Just before I awoke, the dream took over my sleep and in it, I stood looking at the table that was set with cloth, napkins, and silverware. I was confused though--dreams are like that. One moment I was envisioning where the class member would sit and the next I was remembering where our children usually sit when home. But there was one person more I knew I needed to fit in and I struggled with where to put him.

You see, I knew Jesus would be here. Right here in my kitchen and would need to have a place. But where to put him? He didn't seem to fit in any of the places around our oval wooden table. I began to mentally picture my family's usual seating places. He couldn't sit to my right. That is always where Bob sits. Across from me would usually be one of my sons. To the left a daughter-in-law and inbetween us grandkids.

I was beginning to panic. Jesus needed a place to sit at our table!

Then I realized. I needed to give him my seat. He would sit in my chair and I would serve him. With that revelation, I woke up.

I thought that would be the end of it. A dream. A nice dream with a message. But God wasn't done with me yet. When our pastor took the mic after our song service, he said, "I want to talk to you this morning about service."

Coincidence? I think not.